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Cason adjusted the cane in his left hand and leaned heavily on it. He was tired and cranky. Over the last few months, it felt like he hadn’t slept more than four or five hours a night, sometimes three.
He’d pushed himself beyond belief, even when Solette or one of the others weren’t looking. Yet, she still turned from him. Granted tonight was the first night he made a real push to repeat what they had started in the beginning, but he had remained confident that she desired him. Was this person the one standing in the way? Shakarri had allowed him on the guest list at Solette’s request and after his background was checked. Cason knew he was Joseph’s father and where he worked but not much more than that. Nothing he was interested in knowing, like how she felt about him.
He started in the direction Solette had disappeared, but Ezio blocked his path. For an instant the two of them stared each other down. Cason’s fingers tightened on the knob of his one cane until they ached. He gritted his teeth and clenched his jaw.
“Is she why you’ve been making so many changes?” Ezio demanded.
Cason feigned ignorance. “She is my nurse, and you hired her.”
“You know what I’m talking about,” Ezio roared, and half the crowd glanced over at them. His older brother made an effort to calm down. “Don’t tell me you’ve been fooling around with her, Cason. I told you staff is off limits, especially her.”
Cason raised his eyebrows. “Especially? What’s your problem with Solette? That she’s—”
“Go ahead and say it.” A vein popped out on Ezio’s forehead.
Cason forced a laugh like he could care less. “Don’t worry, fratello. I don’t plan on marrying her. Just like I told Solette, I’m nobody’s hero. Never was, and I’m certainly not now. That little mouse is the kind of woman who needs rescuing, and I’m not in the business.”
Instead of looking appeased, Ezio appeared shocked. Cason reviewed what he had just said and couldn’t find anything his brother would have a problem with. He wasn’t going to marry a gold digger or anyone Ezio considered unsuitable. He’d just said so, so why was Ezio staring at him dumbfounded?
“I said—” he began again.
“I heard you.” Ezio spun on his heel and marched away. Cason had no choice but to blink after him, wondering what that was all about. Then the ache in his right leg grew intense, and he looked around. He caught an attendant’s eye and tapped a finger against his cane. Within moments, the man brought him his other cane, and he made his way across the ballroom floor toward an exit.
Once he gained the hall, he moved to a nearby bench and sat down. He rubbed out the ache in his leg and searched his pocket for his pain pills.
“Cason, sir” a deep voice said.
Cason, who had closed his eyes for a second, opened them to find his new bodyguard holding out a bottle of water. Up until then, Cason ignored the man. He’d tried his best to forget his name, but it had stuck anyway.
“Thanks.” Cason spoke around a mouthful of pills and a swig of water. “Neil, did you see which way Solette went?”
“Yes, sir.” The man’s head turned on a thick column of a neck, indicating to the right down the hall.
Cason waited a bit longer until the pills kicked in and stood. “Don’t follow me.”
“You know I can’t obey that order, sir.”
Cason ground his teeth. “Quite calling me sir. It’s Cason.”
“Sure.”
Cason grumbled. He knew this idiot was just as stubborn as Solette, and he’d be “sir-ed” until he felt like he wanted to punch him in his thick neck. Didn’t the man worry about his job? Or maybe both he and Solette knew Cason was less likely to fire anyone than Ezio was. Ah, well, it didn’t matter. He knew how to manipulate people and get them to do what he wanted, which of course was why he never had to get rid of anyone in the first place.
At the end of the hall, he discovered a connecting passage with a few opens doors on either side. A shadow shifted beyond one of them although he couldn’t yet see inside. He decided to try there, and as he approached, he picked up the sound of angry voices.
“I didn’t do anything, Joe, and you don’t have any right to accuse me anyway.” That was Solette, and Cason’s chest tightened at the slight tremor in her voice. This wasn’t the sound of desire as he had heard in her when he spoke with her. She sounded frightened.
Cason picked up the pace and came in line with the doorframe. The sight that met his gaze made him forget what he had declared to his brother just moments ago and what he had been saying to Solette all along.
Chapter 12
Joe Sr. stood in front of Solette with fingers wrapped around her throat, forcing her to tilt her head back. Even with the distance between them, Cason could see he squeezed to frighten Solette. Once or twice, she coughed as he cut off her air supply. She dragged at his arm to try to pull it away, but she was no match for his strength.
Her big brown eyes were even larger, and she visibly shook from head to toe. What made Cason forget everything was in seeing a single tear tread down her cheek as if she fought not to lose control of her emotions.
“I work for him, and there’s nothing between us,” she insisted when she could breathe. “He was just having fun at his party.”
“I don’t believe you!” Joe Sr. raged. He gave Solette a little shake that made her cry out. “We’re getting married, and I’m not going to stand by while some guy puts his hands on you. I don’t care how much money he has. You belong to me. I bought you with that ring, and I’m going to seal it with the papers.”
